Epilogue
SAVAGE
Six months later…
I roll over onto my side, and my hard cock rubs against Claire’s bare ass. I check the time on my phone and then slide my hands over Claire’s back. I trace my fingers lightly up her spine, and she shivers, then mumbles, still deep in sleep.
We have to get moving in about an hour, and that means we have just enough time.
I lower my lips to her neck and shove her thick, chestnut hair aside. “Mornin’, baby.”
We both slept naked, and her small, firm breasts are fully exposed when I move the sheet aside. I reach around her and feel her nipples, soft and relaxed in sleep, wake up under my touch. Claire nudges her ass against my hard cock, and I moan. “Babe,” I say. “We gotta get up in like an hour.”
“Hm. An hour.”
I feel her roll her hips against my erection, and I know she’s more than awake enough for this.
I stick my fingers into my mouth to wet them, then slide my leg between Claire’s thighs.
I find her clit easily. That little nub and I are very good friends, and she comes out to greet me with the tiniest touch.
“You horny, baby?” I ask, teasing her. “You want more of this?” I remove my fingers from between her legs and get an annoyed whimper in response. “Don’t worry. I got you.”
I roll her onto her back and draw her nipple deep into my mouth. I suck it hard, then soft, and blow hot kisses along her breasts. Once she’s wide awake, her lips open and her nipples achingly hard, I part her legs and widen her knees.
There are so many ways I want to love Claire.
In our bed. Over the back of the couch. In the truck when Aurora falls asleep on long drives, but eating Claire’s pussy in our bed has to be one of my favorites.
Her wetness tastes sweet, and her body is so expressive, moving and changing in response to my every touch.
I know what to do, I know how she likes it, and I love giving her what she needs.
I slip two fingers inside her and take my sweet time suckling her clit. She can come more than once, so I don’t bother saving her orgasms for fucking.
This morning, we have time for at least two.
She whispers my name and widens her legs, gripping her knees in her hands, and that’s my sign she’s close.
I pick up the pace with my fingers while slowing down the pace on her clit but applying more pressure with my tongue.
She comes apart so, so fast, her pussy spasming against my mouth, my fingers coated with desire.
I don’t bother waiting for her to finish.
I grab a condom from the bedside table, sheathe myself, and while she’s still quivering, thrust my hard-on deep inside her.
She’s put on some weight in the months she’s been eating well and being spoiled rotten by me, so her fuller tits and soft belly jiggle with every thrust. I love this version of Claire, maybe even more than any version.
She’s soft and full, happy and strong. Everything I always knew she could be.
I fuck her hard, the bed banging back and forth with my movements.
She wraps her legs around my hips and lifts her ass to grind against me, greedily chasing another climax.
I wait for it, cupping her ass and reaching between her cheeks to finger her asshole while she works her hips and begs for more.
When she finally comes again, I let go too, and we collapse against each other’s naked bodies. We don’t say anything, our sighs mingling, our bodies sweaty, until we both catch our breath.
“Better than coffee,” Claire says with a grin.
“I still need at least one cup,” I tell her.
“I’ll make it,” she says, and just then, we hear Aurora banging a toy against the wall.
“E!” she hollers from her room. “E!”
Claire looks at me and points at my chest. “She wants you. Smart girl.” She leans over to kiss me. “I’ll get coffee, you get the birthday girl.”
Aurora’s birthday was last week, and Claire and I spent it alone. We wanted to celebrate the milestone as a family, the first of many, but one of the most important. Today is her big party, and we plan to treat her like the princess she is.
I throw on some clothes, stop to take a quick piss and rinse out my mouth, then I stand outside the door to the bedroom where Aurora sleeps. I knock on the door and call out to Aurora, playing her favorite morning game. “Aurora, are you up?”
“E,” she squeals, and I hear her throw something at the door. It’s how we play this little game.
“Aurora?” I call out again through the closed door. “Are you awake?”
“E!” She’s squealing louder now, excited and revved up, knowing what comes next.
I push the door open a crack and peek at her with one eye. “I don’t see you. Aurora, are you in here?”
“E!”
We play like this for about two more minutes, me picking up the plush toy she threw on the floor and asking the elephant if he knows where Aurora is. By the time Claire’s got the coffee started, I’ve got Aurora in my arms and am planting loud raspberry kisses all over her neck.
I change her diaper—which, let me tell you, I only just started doing last week—and let her run around in the same PJs she slept in. Her mom’s gonna bathe her and put on her special birthday party dress, so for now, we’re going casual.
Once Aurora is changed, I take her little hand, and she walks a few steps through the bedroom before losing patience with her nonexistent walking skills. She drops to her knees and fires off like a cannon, crawling into the living room.
“Mama,” she calls.
Claire swoops her up and kisses her cheeks, then starts singing “Happy Birthday” to her.
I cover my ears, teasing Claire about her not-so-great singing voice. She tosses a couch pillow at me with a grin. “And because of that, you get to make the bed this morning.”
I snort. It’s always my job to make the bed in the morning. My phone pings, so I grab it and check the messages while I’m pouring a cup of coffee.
Blade: You mind if I bring my kid? My plans for the afternoon kinda fell through.
I shake my head. Blade’s protective of his son. I’ve never even met the kid. He’s careful to keep his personal life personal.
Me: Yeah, man, everybody’s welcome. All Phantom’s kids will be there. It’s all good.
And that applies to every area of my life. Work has never been better.
Mad Dog got arrested coming back into the US on at least four outstanding warrants. He’s locked up until his trials because nobody in the Hellfires would post bail. He’s not gonna be a problem for us for a long time, if ever.
Shadow has taken on a leadership role on the business side. We have a dozen irons in the fire, and while I don’t know what the future holds, I crack open a lot fewer heads these days, and I haven’t taken a beating myself since I last tangled with Mad Dog.
Claire has a part-time job working for the city. The temp position got extended under a special contract, and while she’s not yet making full-time money, she gets benefits for herself and the baby.
Poppy has gone back to work, so Claire and Poppy share a nanny. Three days a week, when Claire has to be in the office, she drops Aurora at Phantom’s house, and their nanny watches Aurora and little Lilly.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and slice up a banana for the birthday girl. Claire is on the phone with one of her mom’s friends—an old guy named Theo who used to play in Neon Dawn. She’s been making friends and reconnecting with people from her life before Anthony.
As we move through the morning, I watch the woman I love and the baby I have come to adore.
I’ve stopped setting aside as much money for my mom as I did before.
I used to hoard the cash I made, thinking that I’d send it to Mom when she was old and sick and had no way to care for herself.
I knew my old man wouldn’t, and I never thought I’d be back in her life.
Now that I don’t have to save up guilt money, I can think about what else I want to do with all the shit I’ve worked for over the last twelve years.
I’ve more than made back what I spent to free Claire from the Hellfires.
A house for my family might be in my future.
We just bought Claire a car, and I’ve been dropping hints about a ring.
But so far, we’re just living it. Taking it day by blissful day.
When we get to Phantom’s, he’s got his shirt off, which, let me tell you, is not a sight I was prepared for. He’s showing off the new ink he got for his newest daughter. “Holly, Daisy, Lilly,” he says, proudly pointing to the design around his heart.
Poppy’s son Jax narrows his eyes and pretends to glare at it. “That’s not what I drew.” He rolls his eyes. “Artistic license.”
Phantom flicks the kid on the arm and gives him a wink.
Those two are thick as thieves. Seeing Jax around the compound was weird at first. I avoided the nerdy kid who always had his nose in a drawing pad.
But now that I have Aurora, I can see the appeal of a son.
I don’t get ahead of myself, though. I’m still getting used to the baby I have.
Speaking of which, I jostle Aurora in my arms and settle her on a hip. Claire brushes her bangs out of her eyes and follows a few steps behind me, holding on to the baby carrier just in case Aurora gets fussy or needs to lie down.
We barely make it inside Phantom’s house before we’re besieged by squealing teenage girls.
Holly and Daisy come skidding into the living room, their faces decorated with glitter.
They have pink and purple glittery crowns on their heads, and they each have one in their hand.
They’re both wearing dresses and makeup and perfume, and it’s like a roving cloud of happiness as they circle us with their hands out.
“Okay, okay, this one is for the birthday girl.” Daisy takes charge, holding out her arms to take Aurora from me. I learned long ago not to fight the pull of a teenage girl who sets her sights on something. Besides, Aurora loves her babysitters and practically leaps out of my arms to get to Daisy.